August 30, 2005

Prepare for cries of "persecution"

The Air Force issued new religion guidelines to its commanders yesterday that caution against promoting any particular faith - or even "the idea of religion over nonreligion" - in official communications or functions like meetings, sports events and ceremonies.

[snip]

The guidelines apply not just to the academy, but also to the entire Air Force. They will be made final later this year after Air Force generals meet and consider recommendations from their commanders.

While the NYT found mostly positives in this news, the LA Times talked to the critics:

Spokesman Rob Boston [of Americans United for Separation of Church and State] called the interim rules a "useful first step" but said they appeared to lack any means of enforcement and encouraged further problems by allowing nonsectarian prayers.

Aloha! I have three children in the military. Two who were in in Iraq the same time. My son came back with sharpnel in his chest. Was sent to Afganistan less than a year. My daughter was in Iraq 15 months. My youngest was in Korea. All three in War Zones. I made it through the crazyness because of religion and who we know as God. My youngest was recently deployed to Diegos Garcia...I watch her 8 month old son while her hubby works. I wonder if the Air Force going tell her not to say she belives in Christ! Screw them! Our Country was based on God.

A lot of people, including my mother, are confused about this issue.
For example, school prayer.

I don't think people realize that the people who want religion to be pushed in schools (military, etc.) are often NOT just worried that they won't be allowed to pray or practice their religion (that's usually not so)... It's that some people want to make sure EVERYONE is THEIR religion ONLY.

What's even more preposterous is the idea that non relgious people want to make everyone non religious... When really, I think most non religious people simply don't want to be forced to have a religion or have to do religious things, that's all.

That one quote from the article scares the piss out of me:
"The Air Force developed the guidelines after complaints from cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs that evangelical Christians leaders were using their positions to promote their faith."

I don't think anyone wants to stop evangelical Christian soldiers from praying... Let's get real.
But geez... There are JEWS & MUSLIMS & ATHEISTS ETC. in our military, they should NOT be forced to say Christian prayers or participate in Christian religious stuff, just because their commanding officer is a Born Again Christian.

Surely any rational person can see the conflict of involving religion in the miltary, where a lack of rank could mean your religion means shit.
I think if the situation were reversed, and it was a Jewish or Muslim person in the higher rank, pushing their religion on a Christian cadette, they'd be shouting for heads.

Chloe, the third link (but first post) in that sequence I mentioned outlines the complaints from those cadets. I think the second one adds that the Chaplain who tried to investigate got transferred to Alaska or Guam or somewhere.

And you're undoubtedly correct that if the commanding officer demanded that the cadets pray five times a day while facing east there'd be holy hell to pay.